vulnerable
by A stone heart
Summary: What happens when Toph wakes up after Yakone trial and how does she deal with this feeling of being weak. I know not a lot of people read TLA fanfic anymore but I'm thinking of writing a few of them, just have a few ideas with this character. so R&R if you can thanks


I woke up on a cold hard floor, my head spinning, My body felt heavy. When I went to lift my hand to my head I couldn't stop the gasp that escaped my lips, my body was sore all over. "What happened?", I asked more to myself than anybody else. I got on my hands and knees trying to steady myself before I move any further. I heard a few people groaning around me but didn't seem like anybody else was awake. I squeezed the bridge of my nose trying to soothe a headache that was pounding inside my skull.

I raised my hand and slammed it to the ground trying to get an idea of what was going on. But instead of getting a picture in my head, there was nothing but the sound of my palm slapping the ground. I clenched my teeth as a pain shot up my arm. I tried again despite the pain I was in, my heart racing when the result was the same. "I can't see", panic raced through my mind. I was glad my voice was nothing more than a whisper because I don't think I could hide the quiver that accompanied it.

I suddenly remembered something. it wasn't exactly an image but a feeling of being lifted off the ground, my limbs bending by someone else's will. Then I remembered, "Yukone", he forced me to free him. I moved my hand to my stomach while the other one covered my mouth trying to swallow the bile that was crawling up my throat from my twisted stomach. I could feel myself start to pale as my hands began to shake, the feeling of helplessness came over me again. The embarrassment of being so easily controlled made me sick to my stomach.

I forced myself to stand on unsure legs, stumbling forward as I tried to take a step in front of me. I stretched out my sore arms searching for the wall, sliding my feet forward trying to avoid bumping into anything or tripping over any unconscious bodies that were probably sprawled out on the floor. I finally found the wall and despite how humiliating it was, I used the wall to guide me to the exit. Cursing at myself as my body pleaded for me to stop moving, but I ignored it. I had to get out before anyone could notice my weakened state.

I hoped none of my officers were awake to witness how pathetic I was. `I just need to disappear at least until my bending comes back`, I bit my lip. `if it comes back`. I fought back the tears as I finally found the exit.

SOKKA

I woke to the sound of people talking around me, my body stiff as I slowly sat up. "Councilman Sokka, you're awake", I heard someone shout with a voice that sounded relieved. I looked up to see a young officer rushing beside me.

"What happened?", my voice sounded hoarse. The man allowed me to use his shoulder for support as he helped me stand.

"It was Yukone, sir", I gave the young man a confused look still dazed. "Remember sir, Yukone was on trial today", finally everything was coming back to me. "I don't know how but he managed to bloodbend the full courtroom". I nodded at him in understanding.

"Is everybody accounted for?", I scanned the room trying to figure it out for myself.

"Yes sir, well almost everybody except.." I cut off the young man.

"Wait, where's Avatar Aang and Chief Be Fong?." I searched the room again just in case I missed something.

"Avatar Aang went off to fight Yukone. But no one knows where the chief is, we have people out searching for her."

"There's no need. That stupid woman is probably off helping Aang." I couldn't hide the annoyance in my voice. "You know her, she is too stubborn to let anyone get the better of her. Wait until I see her I swear...", I was cut off by another officer before I could go on a rant about how reckless our blind friend could be.

"Councilman Sokka, Avatar Aang is back." Without another word, I excused myself from the young man's company. Heading towards the door to greet my oldest friend.

"Aang", I called out to him distracting him from some other officials. "What happened?." I rushed over, ignoring the looks I was getting.

"Sokka you're okay." He gave a bright smile before it disappeared. "I chased Yukone down and we got into a fight, but in the end, I took his bending away. I couldn't let him abuse that sort of power." Even though this option was better than killing, Aang still used it as a last resort.

"You made the right decision, we can't afford to have that sort of power running around republic city. The police are stretched thin as it is. Which reminds me, where's Toph? I thought she would have come back with you." The bald-headed man gave me a strange look.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Toph wasn't with me. She was passed out with the rest of you when I had left", his face fell into a scowl. "Is she not in the building ?", concern rang through his voice.

"No, I woke up and presumed she left with you." both our faces full of worry.

"Maybe she went back to the station or….", I simply cut Aang off shaking my head.

"No, I've already asked. No one else has seen, that's why I thought she might be with you". I looked around the area trying to find any trace of the former blind bandit.

"Do you think someone took her while everyone was out cold?." Aang clenched his fist. "This is all my fault. I should have made sure everybody was safe before I left", he hung his head low. "I'll go get Appa and see if I can cover more ground searching for her." Just as I was about to give up on finding anything and agree with Aang. I noticed a garbage can across the road leading into an alleyway had been knocked over.

"Don't do anything just yet, let me check something out." I walked away leaving him confused.

It didn't take long for me to walk into the center of the alleyway. That's where I saw her scrunched up, back against the wall, her head resting on her knees, tapping her foot repeatedly off the ground. Something was off but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I was about to call out to her before I could my foot accidentally kicked a stone. Her head shot up showing that the stone had caught her attention. "Who's there?", I raised an eyebrow, Toph would normally recognize me from a mile away. "I swear, if you don't leave now I will bury you without a second thought." If anyone else had received that threat they would be running away never looking back. But something in her voice told me it was nothing more than an empty threat.

"Wow, it's only me." she relaxed slightly, recognizing my voice. "Did I really just sneak up on the great Runaway?", I tried to tease her but she wasn't having any of it.

"Why are you here Sokka?, Just go away?", her voice was firm.

"We were worried, after what just happened. I think we have every right to worry if you disappear." I snapped at her, she flinched as I raised my voice. Tucking her head back into her arms.

"I don't need you to worry about me I can take care of myself." I looked at her oddly, what has brought this on all of a sudden.

"What?, I never said you couldn't. I don't know what's going on with you Toph, but we can discuss it back at the air temple." I squeezed the bridge of my nose. "Come on, it's been a long day." I started to walk away but stopped when I noticed she wasn't following me. "Oh come on Toph, is your ego really that dented?. That you're going in a huff because Yukone was able to take the greatest earthbender down?." I noticed her grip tighten on her arms, I guess I had struck a nerve. "Come on let's just go." I was really getting annoyed now.

"I can't see." her voice was small. I raised an eyebrow, I couldn't help but grin.

"Did you hit your head when you fell?. After all the nickname `the blind bandit` kind of gives that away." I burst out laughing but stopped when I noticed she didn't join in.

"No, Sokka I can't see at all." she finally turned her sightless eyes in my direction but missed her mark by a few inches. "I can't bend", I gave her a sympathetic look, finally this was all making sense.

"Is this why your hiding?", I sat down beside her. I never realized how small she looked, I couldn't believe this was the same girl who used to wrestle with earthbenders twice her size.

"I'm not hiding, I just don't want my officers to pity me." She snapped at me "how can I face them if I can't even defend myself against Yukone?, I have never felt so helpless.", I was kind of shocked at how honest she was. I gave her another sympathetic look.

"Toph, I don't think anyone pities you. After all look at what you have achieved over your short lifetime. I have already mentioned this today but I'll say it again. You created metal bending all by yourself, opened your own bending academy, becoming the youngest chief of republic city, also training your own police division for metal bending. How can anyone pity the greatest earthbender of all time", I nudged her with my shoulder.

"But without my bending I'm nothing." she let out a shaky breath. "Just a helpless fragile blind girl." She looked down at her foot that was still tapping on the ground. "I keep tapping my foot as if I can reset something, in hopes my bending will return, But nothing is happening. I'm still sore, my headache just seems to be getting worse and on top of all this I just feel ill. I don't know what I will do if it doesn't come back", I wasn't sure but I thought I heard her voice shaking.

"Come on, we'll go visit Katara. I'm sure she can help". She still didn't move. I knew it was because she didn't want anybody seeing me helping her out of the alleyway. I had an idea grabbing her elbow and dragging her to her feet.

"What are you doing?", she demeaned.

"Just play along?." She never said anything but she did allow me to direct her out of the alleyway.

"Toph where have you been?", Aang called out towards us, this causes Toph to tense as a few others also caught sight of the two. Before anybody started bombarding the blind woman with questions. I spoke before anybody had a chance.

"Do you really have a death wish?", I yelled at her. Squeezing her arm to let her know this is where she had to play along. " I mean chasing down Yukone's men all by yourself, are you nuts?". She gave me a thankful twitch of her lips, that I presumed was a smile.

"What do you expect me to do snozzles, let them go?.", she continued back. " I didn't get where I am for letting people go."

" You could have let this one slide. And another thing will you stop with the nicknames, I'm too damn old for them.", Anyone witnessing the scene would think we were having a real fight but Aang gave us a skeptical look.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen? Let's just go", she folded her arms but I never loosened my grip.

"Aang will you just get Appa so we can leave." The bald-headed man caught on that something was wrong, so without question, he did as he was told. As the huge beast came towards us, I spoke softly only for her to hear me. "Do you need a hand up", she slowly nodded. We walked around the side of the beast. As if Aang knew what I was going to say, he earthbent the two of us on to Appa. We left without another incident.

"So what was that all about?." Aang turned his head to face us but raised his eyebrow when he saw Toph clutching to my arm like her life depended on it.

"I'll fill you in later but first we need to get Katara." Without saying anything else we headed to the air temple.

It didn't take us long to reach the air temple and after I explained the problem. Katara was more than happy to take the stubborn earthbender off my hands so she can treat her.

TOPH

I listened as the waterbender went to work on me scanning my body for anything that might be out of place, as I laid in a soft bed. "You know it's okay to breathe", her voice interrupted the silence and immediately I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Toph everything's going to be fine", her voice held its usual motherly tone.

"That's easy for you to say, you don't rely on your bending as much as I do.", Katara rested her hand on my shoulder. "And why is my head still pounding? no one else seems to be having these side effects."

"I know you are worried Toph but you just need to relax." I simply nodded.

"I was helpless Katara", I could feel her gaze on me silently telling me to continue. "He was able to take my sight away and force me to unlock him." I flung my hands over my ears shaking my head, bringing my knees to my chest. My fingers tangling in my hair that had fallen out of my bun. Katara peeled away one of my hands from my ears.

"Toph", her voice was smooth "I know this has scared you but", I shot her a glare. "don't pretend that you weren't, its okay to admit it. Blood bending is scary there's no doubt about it, this is why I don't want to use it." I slowly nodded.

"Why would anyone want to use something like that, the way it makes people feel, the odd sense of your blood twisting ", I shot my hand out to cover my mouth as I remembered the sensation of the bending. I was sure I was going to throw up this time. Katara rubbed my back, sitting in silence for a while before she spoke again.

"I'm going to get the guys then I can fill you all in at the same time." I reluctantly agreed, after all the guys were probably as worried just as much as I was.

I heard the door open and three sets of footsteps entered. "So what's the verdict ?", Sokka was the first to speak.

"It's nothing to worry about." I could feel her watching me.

"You keep saying that but I still can't see. My bending hasn't come back yet." My voice was louder than what I intended it to be.

"Yeah, I don't think anybody else has ever had their bending taken away from bloodbending. Well there hasn't been any reported cases for my knowledge", I could tell Aang was searching his mind for an answer, I could even imagine him scratching his beard.

"Even Twinkle Toes agrees with me, this isn't normal". I could hear him let out a frustrated sigh at the nickname, while Kitara giggled at him.

"That is true, but we have to keep in mind Toph is a lot more sensitive," I growled at her accusation. " I never meant it in that way Toph." She tried to cover herself. "I'm just saying, with you being blind your other senses are heightened. So when a stressful situation like this happens your body is going to react differently to ours. There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage, so my guess is after a long rest you'll be good as new.", Katara said cheerfully.

"So this is going to happen every time I go up against bloodbenders?", I folded my arms and huffed.

"Well, there's only one solution." I did my best to look over at Sokka. " You don't go against blood benders", I scowled at him.

"Good idea meathead", I said sarcastically "Before I get into any fights, I'll just ask them if they are blood benders. After all, the criminals in this city are so honest?", I smirked to prove my point.

"Maybe you shouldn't be out on patrol, after all, you are the police chief?. Shouldn't you be doing paperwork or something like that", I growled at him.

"Think I might have a problem with that one." I waved my hand in front of my face. " Paperwork is not my strongest point."

"Sokka, you can't expect her not to do her job." Katara spoke in my defense " Toph is a great police chief. She shouldn't change the way she does stuff just because of a small hiccup."

"I know but there must be something we can do to prevent this from happening again", Sokka's voice was full of concern.

"Well, there isn't." I snapped at him " and even if there was I wouldn't be a part of it. I'm not going to run scared because of what somebody can do to me. I thought you would know that better than anyone", he let out a defeated sigh.

"Okay, okay you're right", I could hear him walk over to me " but just be careful in future", he sat down next to me squeezing my hand.

"Come on Aang, We'll leave these two alone." With that, the couple left the room. Sokka never left my side until morning, by that time my bending had come back and I was moving about like normal despite the gang's disapproval, they still thought I should rest more.


End file.
